Last year, after more than 18 years with Coldwell Banker Bain, Kristi Jenkins took a leap of faith, left the comfort of her solid brokerage, and followed her friend and mentor in opening The Agency Seattle. “To have this incredible brokerage behind me and to build something from the ground up is extremely exciting,” Jenkins says.

The Agency may be a new name in the Seattle market, but Jenkins, a 20-year veteran of the local real estate industry, is not. Deeply invested in the communities of Issaquah and Sammamish, where she grew up and raised her own family, Jenkins has accompanied longtime clients from their first homes to their second and then to the downsizing stage, a journey that mirrors her own. “I have been full circle through why families choose this area, why they stay and what keeps them invested in the community through various stages of life.”

For Jenkins, being authentic, being invested in people and working with integrity are the keys to continued success. Listening with the intention of truly understanding what her clients want is the cornerstone of her referral-based business. That understanding is evident from the targeted home searches Jenkins conducts to the tours she plans and even in the gifts she gives at closing. “I always want my clients to feel like they were heard,” she explains.

Jenkins strives to help her clients experience a seamless process, noting that “every transaction has its unknowns, but taking the worry out of the process is something I’m good at.” And her clients agree, often citing her experience and communication as second to none.

Away from real estate, Jenkins describes herself and her husband of 25 years as proud empty nesters with two daughters in college. She actively gives back her time and resources to the nonprofits Olive Crest and Free Wheelchair Mission.